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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · fall · cap · pitcher · staff · board · stick · hand

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. hand — help
  6. cap — a hat
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fall — the season
  21. board — a committee
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com